OSMC's Easter update is here with Kodi v18 (Leia)

21 April 2019

It's been a while since we last posted an update. Kodi v18 was released at the end of January and since then we've been working on readying a stable release for OSMC supported devices. The Kodi Leia (v18) update is not available for Vero 1 (late 2015) users and we now consider the device to be end of life.

We'd like to thank those who have tested our nightly builds as well as pre-release test builds. We have now started to produce nightly builds for Kodi v19.

Kodi v18 comes with a large number of improvements, and you can learn more about the release from the official announcement. The main improvements for OSMC users are:

Retrogaming support

Stability fixes and improvements

Improved Live TV / PVR support

Support for DRM services, such as Amazon Prime Video and Netflix

We now endeavour to resume the monthly update cycle and will track Kodi v18 point releases in a timely manner.

We've also worked on a number of OSMC improvements. Here's what's new:

Bug fixes

Fix HDMI full range output setting on Vero 4K / 4k +

Fix an issue where the OSMC installer may display a blank screen when run on Vero 4K / Vero 4K +

Fixed an issue where Ethernet connectivity may stop working in low traffic (typically DHCPless) environments

Fix an issue caused by a lack of IDR frame which would cause some stuttering with some German Live TV services on Vero 4K / Vero 4K +

Reduced idle load for Vero 4K / Vero 4K +

Improving the user experience

Fix permissions so that GPIO can be accessed without root privileges

Added support for backing up Kodi profiles with the My OSMC backup add-on

Updated Pulse-Eight CEC library with a number of fixes for CEC quirks

Improved OSMC skin for Kodi Leia with new views and optimisations

Miscellaneous

Add support for forcing HDR10 output to displays that do not advertise support on Vero 4K / 4K +

Add support for serial port installation for Raspberry Pi with the OSMC installer

Database upgrade

Please be aware that this version of Kodi Leia uses a new database schema that is incompatible with older versions of Kodi. If you are using Kodi on other devices with a shared MySQL library, then you should ensure that those devices can also be upgraded to Kodi Leia as well before proceeding.

Add-on compatibility issues

Your skins or add-ons of choice may not necessarily be compatible with the new version of Kodi. You should check with the developer of any add-ons or skins before updating and enquire if there is a Leia compatible version. Most add-ons should work without issue, however Kodi's skinning engine has been significantly revamped in this version. We recommend that you switch to the OSMC skin before upgrading, then attempt to switch back to your skin of choice if you use a different skin.

You should also note that some add-ons may be disabled by default after upgrading. You can re-enable them manually to get them working again.

Wrap up

To get the latest and greatest version of OSMC, simply head to My OSMC -> Updater and check for updates manually on your exising OSMC set up. Of course — if you have updates scheduled automatically you should receive an update notification shortly.

If you'd like to get the best OSMC experience, we recommend Vero 4K +, which allows you to enjoy HEVC, HDR10 and HD audio.

You may also wish to check out our Store, which offers a wide variety of high quality products which will help you get the best of OSMC. Our flagship device, Vero 4K + is currently on sale, which is a great way to get the best OSMC experience if you're after HDR10, HD audio and 4K HEVC support in a complete package.